The Mungo (Moungo) are an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

of the Republic of Cameroon. Along with the other coastal peoples, they belong to the

Sawa Sawa may refer to: Places * Sawa, Nepal, a village development committee * Sawa, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, a village * Saveh, sometimes transliterated Sāwa, Iran, a city * Sawa Lake, Iraq People * Sawa (Hrycuniak) (born Michał Hrycunia ...

ethnic groups. The Mungo have historically been dominated by the Duala people, and the two groups share similar cultures, histories, and claims of origin.

History and geography

The Mungo share no singular origin story. Some claim the same history as the Duala and Limba, descending from a man named Mbedi. From a place called Piti (northeast of Douala), Mbedi's sons Ewale and Dibongo migrated south toward the Cameroon coast. while others trace their ancestry to a man named Lokula who migrated east from near

Efik Efik may refer to: * Efik people, an ethnic group located primarily in southeastern Nigeria * Efik language, the language of the Efik people *Efik mythology, the mythological beliefs of the Efik people *Efik religion, the traditional religion of t ...

territory in modern-day Nigeria. The former tradition seems more likely, however, and the Nigerian story possibly indicates that later settlers entered Limba country from Efik territories at some point and assimilated. By the 16th century, the Duala had become the leading traders in Cameroon. The Mungo provided goods and

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

s to the Duala in exchange for goods obtained from the Europeans, such as alcohol, gunpowder, guns, mirrors, shoes, textiles, and tools. In 1918, Germany lost World War I, and her colonies became mandates of the League of Nations. Great Britain and France split the administration of the Kameruns, partitioning the Cameroonian Littoral. The Mungo were divided in two. The Mungo live along the Mungo River's lower stretch and the creeks that feed it. Their territory straddles the border of the Moungo division of the Littoral Province and the Fako division of the

Southwest Province The Southwest Region or South-West Region () is a region in Cameroon. Its capital is Buea. , its population was 1,553,320. Along with the Northwest Region, it is one of the two Anglophone (English-speaking) regions of Cameroon. Various Ambazonia ...

. Fishing is the primary means of subsistence.

Language

The Mungo who speak a dialect of

Duala Duala or Douala can refer to: Relating to Cameroon * Duala people, an ethnic group in Cameroon * Duala language, part of the Bantu languages * Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, founded by the Duala people * Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873–1914 ...

. Duala is part of the

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language *Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for Nationali ...

group of the Niger–Congo language family. In addition, individuals who have attended school or lived in an urban centre usually speak a European language. For Littoral Mungo, this is

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

; for Southwest Mungo, it is Cameroonian Pidgin English or standard English; and for the Mungo it is one or the other. A growing number of the Anglophones today grow up with Pidgin as their first tongue.

Arts

The Mungo are regular attendees of the annual

Ngondo The Ngondo is an annual water-centered festival held by the Sawa (ethnic group), Sawa (coastal peoples) in Douala, Cameroon. The highlight of the festival is a ceremony of the jengu. The ceremony is held at a beach on Wouri River, Wouri Bay, durin ...

, a traditional festival of the Sawa peoples. The goal is to communicate with the ancestors and ask them for guidance and protection for the future. The festivities also include armed combat, beauty pageants, pirogue races, and traditional wrestling.''Guide touristique'' 126.

Classification

The Mungo are

in language and origin. More narrowly, they fall into the

, or the coastal peoples of Cameroon.

Notes

References

* Chrispin, Dr. Pettang, directeur. ''Cameroun: Guide touristique.'' Paris: Les Éditions Wala. * Fanso, V. G. (1989). ''Cameroon History for Secondary Schools and Colleges, Vol. 1: From Prehistoric Times to the Nineteenth Century.'' Hong Kong: Macmillan Education Ltd. * Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.) (2005):
Duala
. ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'', 15th ed. Dallas: SIL International. Accessed 6 June 2006. * Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.) (2005):
Pidgin, Cameroon
. ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'', 15th ed. Dallas: SIL International. Accessed 6 June 2006.

External links

Peuple Sawa
(in French) {{authority control Bantu peoples Ethnic groups in Cameroon Indigenous peoples of West Africa